Before I tear them - is there a trick to getting these bumpers in? I heated them to make them pliable, then got frustrated & quit when I couldn't pull them through.
Upper Control Arm bumper installation
- Thread starter brrian
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Make sure they are warm, maybe by putting them in hot water to soften them up
Lubricate the arm with some soap
Use a wide nose pliers to grab as much of the tab as possible wen you pull them in.
I changed my bumpers last year and doing all of those made it work fine without issue.
Lubricate the arm with some soap
Use a wide nose pliers to grab as much of the tab as possible wen you pull them in.
I changed my bumpers last year and doing all of those made it work fine without issue.
Get you some insertion lube for all your rubber bits. 🙂
Or any other lube will work. I've used a good squirt of dawn on the rubber part ONLY where it contacts the arm. You don't need it everywhere, just the tight spots. Oh, and this is after you soaked the bumpers in extremely hot, almost boiling water to soften them up. I've taped up the top with masking tape to minimize marring, lubed up the beveled areas, and used a pair of pliers to gently pull them through the holes. Worked pretty well.
Or any other lube will work. I've used a good squirt of dawn on the rubber part ONLY where it contacts the arm. You don't need it everywhere, just the tight spots. Oh, and this is after you soaked the bumpers in extremely hot, almost boiling water to soften them up. I've taped up the top with masking tape to minimize marring, lubed up the beveled areas, and used a pair of pliers to gently pull them through the holes. Worked pretty well.
start at one end then use a stubby flat blade screwdriver to work the rest of it on. Lightly pry on it so you don't puncture the rubber thru.Get you some insertion lube for all your rubber bits. 🙂
Or any other lube will work. I've used a good squirt of dawn on the rubber part ONLY where it contacts the arm. You don't need it everywhere, just the tight spots. Oh, and this is after you soaked the bumpers in extremely hot, almost boiling water to soften them up. I've taped up the top with masking tape to minimize marring, lubed up the beveled areas, and used a pair of pliers to gently pull them through the holes. Worked pretty well.
MIght just be a case of factory vs aftermarket. The stockers are mostly made of pretty soft material, from the aftermarket, the rubber could be more of a poly-urethane or a type of tire tread grade which can be stiffer and harder to manipulate.
Nick
Nick
Hmm. Yeah, didn't think about the aftermarket vs. GM parts. I've always used GM parts for suspension junk, so, there's that. But if they're installed, tight, and won't just flop around, you'll do just fine. I don't know the durometer readings of aftermarket vs. stock.
Did you try getting just one flap to go at a time or did you try to just yank it through trying to smash both flaps at the same time? Using GM pieces and the lube, I wriggled the one side in and then the other with some gentle persuasion.
1362014 is the part number. Discontinued from GM. Good gracious, these were just a $4 part, if that, from GM before when I got my stash, but ebay sellers are asking 45 and up for a pair.
Did you try getting just one flap to go at a time or did you try to just yank it through trying to smash both flaps at the same time? Using GM pieces and the lube, I wriggled the one side in and then the other with some gentle persuasion.
1362014 is the part number. Discontinued from GM. Good gracious, these were just a $4 part, if that, from GM before when I got my stash, but ebay sellers are asking 45 and up for a pair.
I thought the same as you all - aftermarket & harder durometer. & I tried everything. Heat, lube, both, pulling an end, pulling the whole flange, pushing one tab through with a screwdriver. Occasionally I'd get part of a tab started but if I touched it wrong it would pop back out and I'd lose my $hit. But they're in & they're tight, so it's all good now.
And you're right - prices are crazy high. I bought the best I found (below).
And you're right - prices are crazy high. I bought the best I found (below).
You ALWAYS have to be cautious with The Parts Place. They advertise their sh*t using GM part numbers and lead you to believe they got genuine GM parts. But usually, when they ship it to you, it's in a generic plastic bag or something that doesn't have any part numbers on them. Sometime they're just loose. These things usually came in a box from GM. Occasionally they'd come in a bag depending on the warehouse method of shipping to the dealerships. But they would always tape the bag closed with the part number order sticky tag on them, or stapled on, or attached to the bag somehow. The OER brand bumpers look exactly like the OEM bumpers, but again, not sure of the hardness. It's not that they're bad, they're just not exactly genuine GM parts, so watch for those that try to deceive. Pay for aftermarket at aftermarket prices, not aftermarket parts NOS GM prices.
GM bumpers USUALLY have some typical tells. As a general rule, they don't have the excessive flashing rubber around the part, and they're usually covered with mold release residue. A whitish crap they don't care to wash off before boxing them up.
Note these GM parts. Hardly a whisper of rubber flash around the edges, and the white jizz all over them. Many GM rubber replacement parts are like this.
Aftermarket. You can see more flash excess on the edges and much cleaner. Granted, tossing rubber bits around, they will pick up trash and rub marks, but you can see the differences if you really look. Again, not bad parts, but just pay accordingly.
GM bumpers USUALLY have some typical tells. As a general rule, they don't have the excessive flashing rubber around the part, and they're usually covered with mold release residue. A whitish crap they don't care to wash off before boxing them up.
Note these GM parts. Hardly a whisper of rubber flash around the edges, and the white jizz all over them. Many GM rubber replacement parts are like this.
Aftermarket. You can see more flash excess on the edges and much cleaner. Granted, tossing rubber bits around, they will pick up trash and rub marks, but you can see the differences if you really look. Again, not bad parts, but just pay accordingly.
You nailed it. Look below at GM vs. mine. The flashing's there, the release residue isn't, and the profile is different, most importantly the neck. Mine is quite a bit thicker, which explains why I struggled so much to get it in. They're in & I'll use them, but they're obviously poor reproductions.
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